Our Review Management Process — What to Expect
A friendly walk-through of how we acquire honest book reviews — ARC team setup, NetGalley placement, ethical review-acquisition channels, the conversion rates that actually matter, and exactly what we do (and never do) to comply with Amazon and FTC review policies.
Reviews are the single biggest organic conversion lever on a book detail page. Books with under 5 reviews convert at 30-50% lower rates than identically-positioned books with 50+ reviews. The challenge is acquiring reviews ethically — every shortcut the industry sells (paid reviews, review swaps, bot-driven reviews) violates Amazon's terms of service AND FTC guidelines, and gets reviews scrubbed (or accounts suspended). This page walks you through the legitimate channels — ARC teams, NetGalley, BookFunnel, genre newsletter giveaways — and the realistic conversion rates you should expect at each.
1Before You Order: The Ethical Review Reality
There's a big distinction between 'review acquisition' (legitimate) and 'review buying' (illegal). Anything that looks transactional — paying per review, trading reviews with other authors, using paid services that promise N reviews for $X — falls into the second category and damages the book long-term. We work exclusively in the legitimate channel. That means slower than 'buy 50 reviews', but the reviews stay live and the account stays clean.
💡 Pro Tips
- Legitimate channels: ARC teams (advance copy in exchange for honest review with disclosure), NetGalley (subscribed reviewer audience), BookFunnel ARC programmes, genre-specific newsletter giveaways, Goodreads giveaways
- Illegitimate (HMD won't do): paid review services, review-swap circles between authors, family/friend reviews from same household IPs, bot-driven reviews, any service promising X reviews for $Y
- Required disclosure on every ARC review: 'I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review' — Amazon TOS + FTC guidance + most international consumer-protection law
- Honest review variance: ARC teams produce mostly 4-5 stars (selection bias from people who chose to read your book) but expect 10-15% of reviews to be 3 stars or lower — that's normal and healthy
⚠️ Important
- Never pay reviewers — Amazon detects same-household IPs, suspicious posting timestamps, reviewer profiles with patterns; reviews get removed and accounts can be suspended
- Never trade reviews with other authors directly — Amazon explicitly prohibits 'reciprocal review' arrangements; cross-detection between authors' accounts is automated
- Never put 5-star reviews from family — if their Amazon account ships to your address or shares billing info, the review will be flagged
2The Three Tiers and What They Actually Are
Our three tiers represent how much of the review-acquisition operation HMD owns. Pick based on your launch ambition and how much hands-on time you're willing to spend chasing reviewers.
Review Starter (£97 / $127) — strategy only
Strategy document covering ethical review channels, ARC team recruitment scripts, NetGalley positioning advice, BookFunnel ARC program walkthrough, review-chasing email templates, and FTC-compliant disclosure language. You execute. Best for first-time authors learning the playbook.
Review Builder (£197 / $249) — 4-week campaign
Strategy plus 4-week active campaign: ARC team recruitment (target 30+ readers from genre-specific channels), NetGalley placement coordination, BookFunnel ARC program setup, weekly check-in calls, review-chasing for committed reviewers who haven't posted. Most authors land here.
Review Machine (£397 / $497) — 8-week campaign
Premium tier: 8-week campaign with extended ARC team (target 60+ readers), NetGalley feature listing if eligible (additional NetGalley fees apply), BookFunnel + StoryOrigin coordination, weekly campaign reports, second-wave review push for paperback launch (if separate from ebook), Goodreads giveaway management. For authors planning multi-book series with launches every 3-6 months.
⚠️ Important
- Add-ons: extra ARC copies above tier (£100 / $127), NetGalley featured listing (£150 / $187 — pays for NetGalley's placement fee separately from HMD's coordination)
- We don't manage the actual review-writing — reviewers write their own honest reviews; we coordinate the distribution and chase posting
3How the Process Works — Step by Step
Every review campaign follows the same five-step rhythm. Total project time is 4-8 weeks depending on tier — different from launch campaigns because review-acquisition needs the book to be in readers' hands for 2-3 weeks before posting begins.
Intake + ARC strategy (week 1)
You complete the intake form: book details, genre + sub-genre, target reader profile, current review count, launch date, ARC budget for distribution copies (typically 30-60 free copies), preferred ARC platforms (BookFunnel / direct download / NetGalley). We finalise the channel mix.
ARC team recruitment (weeks 1-3)
Outreach to genre-specific newsletter subscribers, BookFunnel ARC programmes (your book listed in their genre-specific ARC distribution feeds), Goodreads giveaways, your existing email list. Target: 30+ committed readers for the Review Builder tier; 60+ for Review Machine. Recruitment closes when target hit or end of week 3, whichever comes first.
ARC distribution + reading window (weeks 2-5)
Approved ARC readers receive the book (digital file via BookFunnel or direct delivery; physical copies for tier with paperback ARCs). Standard reading window is 2-3 weeks. We send a single check-in halfway through to maintain engagement. Each reader gets a one-page review-prompt sheet covering Amazon review, Goodreads review, and social share suggestions.
Review chasing + posting (weeks 4-7)
After the reading window, friendly nudges to readers who said yes but haven't posted. Pacing matters: posting 30 reviews in 24 hours triggers Amazon's anti-fraud detection; we stagger posts naturally over 2-3 weeks. Aim for 60-70% conversion of committed readers to posted reviews (industry benchmark; lower for fiction without strong newsletter base, higher for series authors with engaged lists).
Wrap-up + post-campaign list (week 8)
Full report: ARCs distributed, reviews posted by retailer (Amazon / Goodreads / Apple Books), star-rating distribution, top-performing review excerpts you can use for marketing, reviewers identified as good 'beta readers' for future books. List of high-engagement reviewers becomes the seed for your next book's ARC team.
4ARC Team Recruitment Channels
Where the readers come from matters. Each channel has different reader quality, posting rates, and review-style profile. We mix channels to build a robust ARC team rather than relying on one source.
💡 Pro Tips
- Genre-specific newsletter subscribers (best quality): readers in your existing list who specifically opted in for free books. 60-80% conversion to reviews. Builds long-term reader relationships
- BookFunnel ARC programmes: opt-in distribution to genre-specific reader audiences. 30-50% conversion. Wide reach but less curated than newsletter
- NetGalley: subscriber audience of librarians, booksellers, professional reviewers. 15-30% conversion (lower because reviewers are choosier) but reviews carry weight in the trade
- Goodreads giveaways: print-only or KDP-Select-Free (UK only); reaches broad readers but conversion to reviews is 10-20% (recipients didn't actively opt-in)
- StoryOrigin / Prolific Works (formerly Instafreebie): genre-specific opt-in distribution, similar to BookFunnel but more independent. 25-40% conversion
⚠️ Important
- Avoid generic 'review services' that promise X reviews for $Y — these are exactly the paid arrangements Amazon detects and removes
- Avoid heavily promoted Facebook ARC groups — quality varies wildly; some groups are explicitly review-swap circles which violate Amazon TOS
Need to refine your book description for ARC outreach?
Your book description appears in every ARC-recruitment email, NetGalley listing, and BookFunnel ARC programme submission. Use our free Amazon Description Generator to refine the version that goes into ARC outreach — strong copy lifts ARC sign-up rates 20-40%.
5NetGalley — Worth It or Not?
NetGalley is the most-asked-about review platform for self-published authors. Honest answer: it's worth it for some genres, not for others. We help you decide at intake based on what we've seen work.
💡 Pro Tips
- Best fit: trade non-fiction, literary fiction, mystery/thriller — genres where librarians, booksellers, and trade reviewers are active on the platform
- Mediocre fit: romance, urban fantasy, cosy mystery — large dedicated reader audiences exist but the NetGalley reviewer base skews more literary
- Poor fit: niche genre fiction (LitRPG, sweet romance, paranormal cosy) — reviewer base on NetGalley underrepresents these audiences
- Cost: NetGalley charges authors $399-$799 for a 6-month listing depending on package; that's separate from our coordination fee
- Featured listings (additional $150-$500): puts you in front of higher-engagement reviewer surface; sometimes worth it for non-fiction launches
⚠️ Important
- NetGalley reviews are NOT automatically posted to Amazon — reviewers can copy them across, but you can't expect that. NetGalley's value is the review feedback + trade-press visibility, not Amazon review count
- Cancellation/refund policy on NetGalley is restrictive — commit only if you've validated genre fit at intake
6Review Posting Pacing (The Anti-Fraud Detection Reality)
Amazon's anti-fraud algorithms detect unusually fast review posting and suspicious posting patterns. A book that goes from 3 reviews to 30 reviews in 24 hours triggers automated review removal. We pace ARC posting to look natural — because what we're doing IS natural; we just need to not look like the schemes Amazon is filtering for.
💡 Pro Tips
- Target review posting cadence: 3-5 new reviews per week during the ARC posting window — looks like organic discovery posting
- Avoid: 20+ reviews posted in 1-2 days, all from accounts created in the last 3 months, all 5-star, all under 100 words
- Reviewer disclosure: every ARC review must include 'I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review' (or equivalent FTC-compliant phrasing)
- Star-rating distribution: 60-75% 5-star, 15-25% 4-star, 5-15% 3-star, occasional 1-2 star — looks natural; 95% 5-star looks suspicious
⚠️ Important
- Don't push all ARC reviewers to post on launch day — concentrated posting from 30+ accounts at once is the #1 review-removal trigger
- Reviews removed by Amazon during fraud sweeps are rarely restored — appeals occasionally succeed but it's a 6-12 week process with low success rate
- If your book gets a sweep-removal event (15+ reviews disappearing in a week), the campaign's done — we'll wrap, document, and the rest of your acquisition pivots to slower organic channels
7Conversion Rates by Channel
Honest review-conversion benchmarks help you set realistic targets at intake. These are HMD historical numbers; they vary by genre and engaged-list status.
💡 Pro Tips
- Newsletter ARC reader (highly engaged): 60-80% conversion to posted review
- BookFunnel ARC programme reader: 30-50% conversion
- NetGalley reviewer: 15-30% conversion
- StoryOrigin / Prolific Works reader: 25-40% conversion
- Goodreads giveaway winner: 10-20% conversion (lowest because passive opt-in)
- Friend / family ARC recipient: do NOT count these — same-household reviews flagged by Amazon
- Industry expectation: 30-50 ARC distributions producing 15-25 posted reviews on Amazon is a solid Review Builder tier outcome
8What We Provide Reviewers (and What We Don't)
We give ARC readers everything they need to write a useful review without scripting or pre-loading what they should say. The reviews are theirs.
💡 Pro Tips
- We provide: the book file (digital or print), a one-page review prompt sheet (suggesting Amazon + Goodreads posting; covering FTC disclosure language; suggesting hashtags for social shares), a friendly check-in 1-2 weeks in
- We don't provide: a script, a star rating ('please rate 5 stars'), specific phrases to include, requests to mention or not mention specific things, payment of any kind
- Honest negative reviews are part of the deal — if a reviewer reads the book and didn't enjoy it, they're free to post a 1-2 star review with their honest assessment. That's by design; reviewer trust requires reviewer freedom
⚠️ Important
- Asking reviewers to NOT post negative reviews is a common 'tip' from low-quality services — it's a violation of FTC guidance and a signal of dishonest review acquisition. We never ask
9Coordinating Reviews with Launch Strategy
Review acquisition is most effective when sequenced with launch strategy — too early and Amazon hasn't activated the listing yet; too late and the launch's algorithmic favour has expired.
💡 Pro Tips
- Pre-order phase (T-4 to T-6 weeks): begin ARC distribution; readers receive copies and start reading
- Launch week (T+0 to T+7): first wave of reviews posts (10-15 reviews ideal); social-proof threshold met by week 1
- Post-launch (T+8 to T+30): second wave of reviews posts; aim for 20-30 by week 4
- If you're commissioning HMD launch strategy alongside review management, intakes coordinate — single timeline, single project manager
- If you're doing launch yourself but using HMD review management, share your launch date at intake and we sequence the ARC waves accordingly
10A Small Note on Patience
Review acquisition compounds. The 25 reviews you build for book 1 become the launch base for book 2 (because most ARC readers will read book 2 too); book 2 review readers become the launch base for book 3; the network grows. Authors who short-circuit the process by buying reviews are stuck rebuilding from zero on every book and constantly losing reviews to fraud sweeps. We design campaigns to build the long-term reader relationship — slower upfront but compounding across launches.
Ready to commission your review campaign?
If your book is published (or has a confirmed launch date) and you're committed to ethical review acquisition, pick a tier — Review Starter (£97 strategy), Review Builder (£197 4-week), or Review Machine (£397 8-week). Not sure if NetGalley is worth it for your genre, or how many ARCs to distribute? Book a free consultation first.
Common Questions
Do you ever pay for reviews?
No — never. Paying for reviews violates Amazon's Terms of Service AND FTC guidance, and gets reviews scrubbed (sometimes accounts suspended). Every review channel we use is legitimate: ARC teams (advance copies in exchange for honest reviews with FTC-compliant disclosure), NetGalley (subscriber-driven), BookFunnel ARC programmes, genre newsletter giveaways. The reviewer writes their own honest review — including negative ones if the book didn't land for them. Anyone offering paid review services is selling you reviews that will be removed and possibly account suspension.
How many reviews can I realistically expect?
Depends on tier and genre. Review Starter (strategy only — you execute): 10-25 reviews if you follow the playbook diligently. Review Builder (£197 4-week): 15-25 reviews from a 30+ ARC team. Review Machine (£397 8-week): 30-50 reviews from a 60+ ARC team plus NetGalley placement. Conversion varies by channel: newsletter readers convert at 60-80%; NetGalley reviewers at 15-30%; Goodreads giveaway winners at 10-20%. Industry expectation: 30-50 ARC distributions producing 15-25 posted Amazon reviews is a solid Review Builder outcome.
Is NetGalley worth it?
Depends on genre. Best fit for trade non-fiction, literary fiction, and mystery/thriller — genres where librarians, booksellers, and trade reviewers are active on the platform. Mediocre fit for romance, urban fantasy, cosy mystery — the NetGalley reviewer base skews more literary. Poor fit for niche genre fiction (LitRPG, sweet romance, paranormal cosy). Cost is $399-$799 for a 6-month listing (separate from our coordination fee). NetGalley reviews don't automatically post to Amazon — reviewers can copy across, but the value is more about trade-press visibility and review feedback than Amazon review count. We assess fit at intake.
What if a reviewer leaves a 1-star review?
It happens, it's part of the deal, and you don't ask them to remove it. Honest reviews include negative ones; reviewer trust requires reviewer freedom. Star-rating distribution that looks natural is 60-75% 5-star, 15-25% 4-star, 5-15% 3-star, with occasional 1-2 stars — that's healthier and more credible than 95% 5-star (which signals review manipulation to both Amazon's algorithms and savvy buyers). Most ARC campaigns produce 1-3 lower-star reviews per 25 reviews — that's the cost of doing it ethically and the reason readers trust the higher-star reviews.
What about Amazon Vine?
Amazon Vine is invitation-only for vendors with active Brand Registry; not available to most KDP authors. If you're a Brand Registered seller with significant sales history, you may qualify for Vine — costs $200 per book for 30 Vine reviewer copies. Vine reviewers are professional reviewers vetted by Amazon. Reviews are honest (Vine reviewers are explicitly told to write critical reviews where warranted) and clearly labelled. Some HMD authors use Vine alongside our ARC programmes; we'll flag eligibility at intake if applicable.
What if my reviews get removed by Amazon?
This happens occasionally with ethical campaigns and frequently with paid-review schemes. Amazon's anti-fraud algorithms periodically sweep and remove reviews that look suspicious — same-IP-cluster patterns, abnormally fast posting cadence, accounts with similar profile signatures. We pace posting (3-5 new reviews per week) to avoid triggering sweeps, but they sometimes still hit legitimate campaigns. Removed reviews can occasionally be reinstated through Amazon's appeal process (6-12 week timeline, low success rate). If a sweep takes 15+ reviews in a week, the campaign's done; we wrap and pivot the rest of your acquisition to slower organic channels.
Ready to start? Head to the Review Management service page to pick a tier — Review Starter (£97 strategy), Review Builder (£197 4-week campaign), or Review Machine (£397 8-week campaign). Or book a free consultation if you want to talk through NetGalley fit, ARC budgeting, or sequencing with your launch before committing. The legitimate channels build a compounding reader relationship that pays off across every future book launch.
What's your next move?
If your book is published (or has a confirmed launch date) and you're committed to ethical review acquisition, pick a tier — Review Starter (£97 strategy), Review Builder (£197 4-week), or Review Machine (£397 8-week). Not sure if NetGalley is worth it for your genre, or how many ARCs to distribute? Book a free consultation first.
Or contact support if you have questions before ordering.
Free Tools
Amazon Description Generator
Refine description for ARC-recruitment emails and NetGalley listings — strong copy lifts ARC sign-up rates 20-40%.
Book Title Generator
Locked-in title is the most-repeated element across ARC outreach, NetGalley submissions, and review-prompt sheets.
Amazon KDP Keyword Research
Same keyword research that drives KDP discoverability also helps target the right ARC reader audience by genre intent.